Hypnosis is a self-induced, focused attention
that can make it easier for you to relax or to learn to control your body's
functions. People are usually led into hypnosis simply by listening to a voice
giving them suggestions that help them become more and more deeply relaxed and
focus their attention.

Hypnotic trances dealing with eating habits and recognizing true hunger, coupled with a diet and exercise program, are particularly effective for obesity treatment.

However, there is a caveat. According to Karen Olness, MD., Professor at Case Western School of Medicine, hypnosis works the least effectively for people who want to kick poor health habits such as binge eating. Dr. Olness says that "hypnosis works by harnessing your imagination. If you can't imagine giving up a habit-which is often the case if the habit is entrenched-hypnosis can't help you do it. For example, in a study of adolescent girls who were obese because they overate, the only ones who were able to lose pounds and keep them off long-term were the small minority
who, from the start, were able to imagine and describe vividly how their lives would change when they lost weight."

However, for those who are self-motivated,
hypnotherapy had been shown to be very effective. For example, in one
clinical study, psychologists placed 109 overweight individuals on a medically supervised weight-loss program.
Some of the participants were given regular hypnotherapy. The rest didn't. After
nine weeks, both groups had lost the same amount of weight. But at 8-month and 2-year intervals, those who received hypnotherapy had lost additional weight or maintained their weight better than those who didn't get the treatment.

Several other studies have found that compared with psychotherapy alone, a combination of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy produces greater, longer-lasting weight loss.

One technique, Hypnotic Exploration, used with a professional hypnotherapist, can help you to find the irrational thinking that is linked to the behavior you desire to change. Then in the hypnotically altered state, your chosen suggestions can help you to reprogram your beliefs and attitudes. Changing is then easier, more effective and more permanent.

Hypnotherapy had been found to be especially
effective when combined with imagery, affirmations, and biofeedback.

Although imagery is often used together with hypnosis, the two techniques are independent and complementary. Hypnosis is the induction of a particular state of mind, while imagery is an activity. It's possible to have one without the other, though the combination may be most effective.

In hypnotherapy, specific suggestions are used to relieve physical
symptoms or to get out of bad habits. Imagery is generally the most powerful and effective way to provide such suggestions. Imagery itself can be used to induce a hypnotic state.